Thoughts and Revalations
by Only Sarah
Summary: It might have taken her nearly three years longer than him, but she truly did love Chase Matthews with all of her heart. She was his best friend, and that kind of relationship doesn't falter quickly. TWOSHOT.
1. Zoey

Disclaimer: I do not own Zoey 101 or either of the songs mentioned.

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><p>"<em>Hey Jude, don't make it bad<br>Take a sad song and make it better  
>Remember to let her into your heart<br>Then you can start to make it better"_

She was starting to think that her knight in shining armour had in fact been disguised as her skinny, bushy haired best friend. Sure, James was nice, but something about the way that he carried himself made her feel wrong. He was perfect – too perfect, and the fact that he didn't seem to have one awkward, clumsy bone in his body made her feel as if things weren't meant to be.

She had dated many guys before, some of them had even become quite serious, but no matter what happened, it always ended. Things fell apart for seemingly no reason, and she always felt as if she were being set free when the words 'break up' were brought into conversation. She felt like a magnet, being pulled in one direction when her brain was trying to tell her otherwise.

She was always respected, always the person to turn to for advice or a solution, but sometimes she felt as if her brain wasn't wired up properly. She didn't know why she kissed James, being that she had told her best friend that she loved him only weeks prior, but again, her brain and her heart sometimes did not act in sync. She felt as if James was pulling her away from the group, and that she was detached from her friends. When she thought back to the last three years of at PCA, none of her greatest memories occurred in the previous semester. James didn't leave an imprint on her memory, but said best friend certainly did.

Breaking up with James was effortless, and while she saw his heart break to pieces right in front of her eyes, she felt the oh so familiar feeling of freedom, mixed in with splashes of guilt. She didn't know how Chase would respond to the fact that she had snubbed him over the last four months, not attempting to call or email, and she knew he had been informed of her dating James, which is why, she assumed, he had also made no attempt to contact her. He was her best friend, and she hoped with all of her heart that he could forgive her for breaking his.

The flashy colours of prom, the guys in their rented tuxes and the girls in their dresses, hair done up, makeup perfect, used to give her a rush, but the idea of it just made her sick this year. PCA had never had a prom, due to the over population of guys in the school, and this year they had decided to host a prom for the upper school. James was still attending prom, and would have no trouble finding a date, but she chose not to go. The only person she wanted to go with was supposedly across the Atlantic Ocean, and probably mad at her. Or so she had thought.

When he had shown up that night, she could practically hear the sound of things falling into place. He had a way of making everything better, making her feel like herself. She swore that his presence made her a better person. He wasn't mad at her, and had actually arrived under the impression that she was going to prom with James. She kissed him and finally admitted to herself – and him, that she was in love with him. Prom went off without a hitch, and everyone was pleasantly surprised to see her walking across the dance floor, hand in hand with her best friend, and when he had kissed her, she didn't hear the gasps, the 'aww's' or the applause that had followed. She just knew that he loved her, and that she loved him just the same.

He had a way of turning any bad situation she was in to a positive one. His presence simply made everything better, and the way he looked at her made her feel butterflies in her stomach. The good kind of butterflies. He used to be embarrassed when she caught him staring, but she liked it. She had dated so many guys that weren't good for her, and Chase managed to take ordinary actions and turn them into something completely sweet and romantic.

She was surprised to find that dating Chase wasn't much different than being best friends with him, other that she was more aware of him. She had spent the first three years being completely oblivious to him, and she felt as if she knew him better than ever. He knew her inside and out and it was amazing, having someone who she could share her secrets with. He was her boyfriend and her best friend, and she couldn't ask for anything more.

He was anything and everything to her.

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><p><strong>AN:**

**This is part one of a twoshot. I have another twoshot in progress but this was just something I had as a side project. The next chapter is finished and it's Chase's perspective. The song 'Hey Jude' was a great inspiration to me, and as some of you have agreed, it is definitely a Chase-kind of song.**

**Stay tuned for part two which will be coming shortly. It's different than this, and it will actually have dialogue.**

**Chapter 6 of 'Broken Hearts' is coming, I swear. I haven't abandoned it.**

**-Sarah**


	2. Chase

"_We're smiling but we're close to tears_

_Even after all these years_

_We just now, got the feeling that we're meeting_

_For the first time"_

He decided that there is no better feeling in the world than having your love reciprocated. Especially when you've been in love with that person for years and have managed to fall for her over and over, literally, falling harder each time. The way her head felt as if it were designed to rest on his shoulder, how they fit together like puzzle pieces, and he had been holding back on this for three years.

He had thought that going to England was a definite way to her heart. He was going to tell her then, because what other reason would explain why he would abandon his entire life in California to see her? He was ready to tell her, and he knew that it was the right time. Being without her was impossible, especially since her not being there was entirely his own fault. When he arrived to find that she had gone, he had officially decided that the two of them were not meant to be together, that his efforts were useless. Until he found out that she knew, and that she had actually transferred back because of him. It was a glimpse of hope, but he'd take it, since nothing else seemed to be going his way.

The words, "Zoey has a boyfriend" had rung in his mind for weeks, initially not being able to grasp them, and then the hurt set in. She had told him that she _loved _him, and had found somebody else. He had begun to think that she did love him, but in a friendly sort of way and that he had built himself up to be knocked down. He accepted it, and he tried to move on. He couldn't be mad at her because he knew he wasn't the only one to see how incredible she was, but he certainly did know her the best, and he knew that she wasn't one to linger on things. She moved on from problems quickly and didn't let them weigh her down. He was weighing her down, and she had to be free.

He had thought about calling her but he didn't want to be a burden. He didn't want her to feel guilty, and honestly, the more he heard from PCA, the more he missed it. He was accepting that he was in England until the end of the semester.

"_Maybe we can try this for real when we're together again."_

It was a shot in the dark, but those words definitely did come out of her mouth, so some part of her had to feel the same way as him.

He came back to PCA with the intention of being a friend to her. He just wanted her presence, not to try to force the end of her relationship. He had decided that, although it made him unhappy, he would rather see her happy, and that if the other guy made her happy, he would let it be.

As he sat with his head pressed against the window, looking out into the ocean as he flew over the Atlantic, he got a feeling in his heart that things were going to be okay. He was finally going to see her for the first time in too long, but part of him worried still. He worried that she was going to be different, that the girl he fell in love with wouldn't be there anymore. He wondered how she would have changed physically, whether her voice would have changed, how she would carry herself. He hoped, prayed even, that she would still treat him as her best friend, despite everything that had gone down between them.

He had written his last final and convinced his parents to let him go to PCA for the last month, as his semester in England ended earlier than in California. He had spoken to Quinn just days before he was to board his flight, and she had informed him that while Zoey and her boyfriend were still together, that she had been acting strange for the last few weeks. She had been quiet, avoiding having lunch when James (the boyfriend had a name) was around, and was avoiding them all as much as possible. They were still planning on attending prom, but he had decided to go anyways. Michael would want to see him, and maybe he would get a chance to talk to her. He didn't realize when he booked the flight that he would be arriving just one hour before the PCA Prom took place.

He loved the sense of home he felt as he walked onto the campus, past the memorable flagpole, the fountain, and all other places that he had shared moments with her. Almost all locations on campus were tied to a memory, all of which revolved around Zoey Brooks. The housing office had informed him over the phone that the only available dorm room was 3A, and that if he didn't want to live there then they would have to move a bunk bed into his old room to replace the single bed. He wasn't sure of how this James guy would take it, but he knew Michael and Logan wouldn't mind, so he chose the latter. They weren't available to make the change until the next day, so he would be required to make shift with the sofa that night. When he entered his old room, he couldn't help but notice that it looked nearly identical to how he had left it, and that there was a picture of him, Logan, Michael, and Zoey, from eighth grade, sitting on the desk. He dropped off his belonging and set out for the prom, butterflies in his stomach and heart beating out of his chest.

He didn't make it ten feet out of Maxwell Hall before he noticed a blonde, female figure sitting on the fountain alone. His heart stopped as he watched, seeing her looking out into the distance, not wearing a dress but shorts and a t-shirt, and immediately wondered why Zoey would skip prom, so he called her, hiding behind the rock next to the stairs which surrounded the fountain.

"Hello?" She answered. Her voice sounded off and he could tell that she was crying.

"Hey Zo."

"Chase." Her voice sounded relieved almost, and he had to wonder why. "How's England?"

"Oh, you know. Boiled food, people driving on the wrong side of the street. You've seen movies."

"I have."

"So how are you doing?"

"I'm okay, sort of."

"Sort of? That doesn't sound very Zoey-ish." He knew her inside and out, and never in a million years would she be 'sort of' okay.

"Yeah well I haven't had the best week."

"Yeah, I talked to Quinn a few days ago. She said you've been acting weird. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I guess." She took a deep breath. "I just wish you were here so I could talk to you face to face. I miss you."

"I've missed you too." He said, making sure to emphasize the past tense. "Wait, I thought PCA was having their prom tonight?"

"We are. I blew it off."

"How come?"

"Because I didn't want to go by myself."

"Ohh." He said, finally emerging and walking up the steps, slowly to keep his balance. He took the phone away from his ear. "The turn around."

He stood about ten feet behind her as she stood up, confusion turning into shock, turning into joy. Tears streaked her face but she still looked the same. Skin slightly more tanned, hair a little bit longer, a little bit blonder, but still Zoey.

"Chase!" She ran up to him and he embraced her, lifting her off of the ground and spinning her around.

They had sat on the fountain and talked for what seemed like forever. She had broken up with James because of one simple complication: she was in love, but not with her boyfriend.

"So what are you saying?" He had made a guess as to what was coming, but he didn't want to get his hopes up too quickly.

She leaned in and kissed him, not hesitating at all. He kissed her back and her lips felt as if they were made to kiss his own, the way they fit perfectly together.

Prom had been fantastic, and despite the confusion he still had over Logan and Quinn dating, and Vince Blake being a nice guy, he couldn't bring himself to stress over either. He had everything he ever wanted standing next to him with an arm around his waist and her head on his shoulder.

The time that had followed had been mixed with their typical ups and downs, but he had never been happier in his entire life. He didn't understand what had been going through his head when he believed that she couldn't love him back, because she did, and he didn't doubt it. The look in her eyes had changed since the days were he hid his love. Her eyes had a glimmer in them that he had never seen before, but saw quite frequently since he had returned to PCA. He wasn't sure whether it was in his imagination, but he was sure that something was there, something had changed. She had always seemed comfortable around him when they used to hang out, but he hadn't seen her like this. She looked genuinely happy, and he couldn't help but notice her attitude change when he walked in the room, and his did too.

He made his best effort to be friends with James. They had talked about everything that had gone on, and while there was no hostility, it was awkward. He found it to be uncomfortable, trying to connect with the guy who had basically driven her into your arms. He had thanked him for treating her right, and James really wasn't a bad guy. The next year, James had moved into his own dorm while Chase had taken back his spot in 148 Maxwell Hall, but he still remained friends with everybody, eating lunch with the group and playing basketball late at night.

He still was in disbelief over the events that had happen, but he had decided that whatever force had been acting on them, during the tekmate incident, and trading places with each other, keeping them apart, knew what it was doing. His patience was rewarded; he got what he had always wanted. Her.

They had been friends for years, but their dating was a brand new aspect to their relationship, and while they didn't need to get to know each other personally, he discovered that there was a lot more to Zoey than he knew. She had described the feeling as 'Being more aware of each other' and he couldn't agree more. She finally knew the truth, and it just so happened that she felt the same. They knew each other, but they didn't, and dating slightly felt as if they were meeting each other for the first time.

Falling was a familiar feeling to Chase Matthews, but falling in love with Zoey Brooks and having her return it felt like an entire new feeling.

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><p><strong>AN**

**Sorry this didn't get posted yesterday. It was written but I totally forgot about it. **

**It's pretty anti-climactic but I don't think very many people look very deeply into the character's feelings, or the events that happen in between. The little things that get overlooked are sometimes the most important ones.**

**I'm exhausted but I'm off for the next three days on recovery, so feel free to PM me. I'll be bored.**

**Leave reviews. Let me know your thoughts/whether you agree or disagree with what I wrote.**

**-Sarah**


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